Color photographic developing solutions (hereinafter referred to as "color developing solutions") containing an aromatic primary amine color developing agent have been conventionally employed in methods of forming color images, and are principally used in methods for forming color photographic images at present. However, these color developing solutions are easily oxidized by air or in the presence of metals. Thus, when color images are formed using a developing solution deteriorated over time, an undesirable increase in fog and changes in sensitivity and gradation occur, and the photographic characteristics differ from those desired, as is well known in the art.
Accordingly, various methods for improving the preservability of color developing solutions have been investigated. Among them, a method in which hydroxylamine and sulfite ions are used together is most commonly employed. However, hydroxylamine decomposes to generate ammonia, which causes fog, and sulfite ions also have the disadvantage that they function as competing compounds with the developing agents and hinder color formation, etc. Therefore, these compounds are not preferred preservatives.
Further, in order to increase the stability of color developing solutions, various preservatives and chelating agents have been investigated. Such preservatives include aromatic polyhydroxy compounds as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 49828/77, 160142/84 and 47038/81, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,544, hydroxycarbonyl compounds as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,503, and British Pat. No. 1,306,176, .alpha.-aminocarbonyl compounds as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 143020/77 and 89425/78, alkanolamines as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 3532/79, and metal salts as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 44148/82 and 53749/82 (the term "OPI" as used herein refers to a "published unexamined Japanese patent application"). Also, chelating agents include aminopolycarboxylic acids as described in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 30496/73 and 30232/69, organic phosphonic acids as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) No. 97347/81, Japanese Patent Publication No. 39359/81, and West German Patent No. 2,227,639, phosphonocarboxylic acids as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 102726/77, 42730/78, 121127/79, 126241/80 and 65956/80, and compounds described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 195845/83 and 203440/83, and Japanese Patent Publication No. 40900/78.
However, when using these compounds, preservability is insufficient, and they adversely affect photographic characteristics, and thus satisfactory results can not be obtained.
In particular, color developing solutions that do not contain benzyl alcohol which is an environmental pollutant, and does not simplify in preparation, have necessarily reduced color forming properties. In such cases, preservatives which function as competing compounds further reduce color forming properties, and therefore conventional techniques cannot be satisfactorily used.
Further, color photographic light-sensitive materials containing a silver chlorobromide emulsion having a high chloride content tend to form fog upon color development as described in Japanese Patent Application (OPI) Nos. 95345/83 and 232342/84. When employing such silver chlorobromide emulsions, it is essential to use a preservative which has excellent preservation properties. From this point of view as well, a new type of developing solution is desirable.